Major League Cricket: T20 Franchise Cricket Comes to the United States
Major League Cricket (MLC) launched in July 2023 as the United States' first professional T20 franchise cricket league. Backed by IPL franchise investors, MLC aims to grow cricket in one of the world's largest sports markets.
Major League Cricket (MLC) launched in July 2023, becoming the United States' first professional T20 franchise cricket league. The inaugural season featured six franchises: MI New York (owned by Mumbai Indians), Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings (Chennai Super Kings), Washington Freedom, Los Angeles Knight Riders (Kolkata Knight Riders) and San Francisco Unicorns. The competition was a commercial and cricketing milestone for cricket in America — the US has a large South Asian diaspora and a growing cricket-following population, making it one of the most commercially significant untapped cricket markets in the world.
USA as Cricket Market and Host
The United States hosted the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 (co-hosted with the West Indies) — a historic first for American cricket and a statement of intent about cricket's global expansion ambitions. The US hosted matches in New York (a temporary venue in Nassau County), Dallas (Grand Prairie Stadium) and Florida (Central Broward Regional Park Stadium). The USA national team, ranked as an Associate member, qualified for the Super 8 stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup after famously defeating Pakistan in the group stage — one of cricket's biggest upsets in recent memory.
MLC's Growth Prospects
Major League Cricket's backers include IPL franchise owners who see the US market as a long-term investment. Cricket's South Asian diaspora in the US — estimated at over four million people — represents a large, affluent, cricket-following audience that has historically had no professional league to support. MLC's business model relies on television rights, ticket sales and sponsorship from companies targeting the South Asian-American market. The competition faces competition for sports consumer attention from established US leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) and from live cricket streaming of the IPL and international matches.
Frequently asked questions
When did Major League Cricket start?
Major League Cricket launched in July 2023 with its inaugural season. It is the first professional T20 franchise cricket league in the United States. The competition has IPL franchise investors as team owners, bringing global T20 cricket networks to the US market.
How did the USA do in the 2024 T20 World Cup?
The USA co-hosted the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup with the West Indies and qualified for the competition as a host nation. They famously defeated Pakistan in the group stage via a Super Over, becoming the first Associate member to beat a major Test nation in a T20 World Cup. They were eventually eliminated in the Super 8 stage.
Is cricket popular in the USA?
Cricket is a niche sport in the US among the general population but has a substantial following in the South Asian diaspora (estimated 4+ million people), Caribbean diaspora and other immigrant communities. MLC's launch and the 2024 T20 World Cup hosting are part of a strategic attempt to grow cricket in the American sports market, leveraging diaspora support while building broader awareness.